


The Next Realm

by XocoW



Category: Saint Seiya
Genre: Friendship, Gore, Horror, comedy (just a bit), hints of ship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-06
Updated: 2015-11-09
Packaged: 2018-04-30 08:20:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5156750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XocoW/pseuds/XocoW
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Virgo Shaka and his students has a mission out of the Sanctuary. However, he doesn't want to leave his temple alone and the only person he trust in this moment is Phoenix Ikki. Lamentably a little mistake with a candle might finish in something terrible. His demons and angels appears as a lucid dream with one simple goal...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Candle - Part I

.

**All the characters belongs to Saint Seiya/Masami Kurumada and/or Toei Animation**

**This story contain (an intent lol) of Gore, violence and lot of torture.**

_I really hope you enjoy this story. It was supposed to be post it in the Halloween night but I'm terrible with times and some other things (some of them were exams) came in the way. Anyway, I did finish it and decided to post it._

**English isn't my first language** _so I hope you can understand anyway and enjoy the story. I'm always open to change the grammar and more._

_THANK YOU!_

* * *

 

_**THE CANDLE (PART I)** _

While the sun was going down thru the beautiful landscape that was in front of the Virgo Temple, the Phoenix Saint was just arriving so he turned at his back to see everything. As a Leo and as the Saint under the wing, literally, of the Phoenix constellation, see those red colours going out of the biggest amount of fire and heat close to the earth was something that made him feel calm and his cosmos could traveling faster and fluid enough to feel it from his fingertips to the head and toes. Ikki closed his eyes and took a deep breath seconds before feeling a hand over his shoulder. As a habit, he turned with an impressive face to attack but now it wasn't necessary when the young Golden Saint smiled because this.

"Shaka..." Ikki now relaxed. "I had tell you don't do that."

"Did I scared you?" Shaka looked younger even if now was twenty-five, maybe the lack of wars helped around.

"No, but someday I will punch your beautiful face if you keep doing that." Ikki smiled. "At least you should show a bit of your cosmos."

"Right now I can't. I already did the meditation to have it in a zero level. The mission we will go is necessary to can pass as simple human beings."

The Phoenix Saint laughed for this and gave a friendly pat at his back as both walked towards the Virgo Temple.

"O! With great bless the women and men who will see our Buddha and God Shaka had being grateful."

Indeed this Buddha decided just smile with this joke. His friendship with the Phoenix Saint was already known since they came back from their terrible destiny.

"My master isn't a God." From the inside of the house, the Lotus Saint arrived with his civilian clothes and the Pandora box at his back. "You should already know this, Phoenix Ikki."

He smiled and nodded. For Ikki, he would never forget when Shaka told him to kneel down and call him God, or at least superior to him.

"Anyway, are you ready to go?"

"Ikki, are you trying to make me go before time?" Shaka laughed. "Are you going to make a party with Hyoga?"

"That's a perfect idea! That's why I want you to go now."

Both smiled. Shaka trusted enough on the Phoenix Saint to let him be the one who would take care of the sixth Temple. The reason was simple; Shaka' students were going with him if anything could be wrong in the mission and someone else he could trust was only Mu but he was already busy in his Temple, fixing some cloths of past missions, teaching to Kiki and helping to both leaders of the Sanctuary alongside his old master Shion. Those leaders were Saori, the goddess Athena, and the Patriarch... or better say, Matriarch Marin.

"So your last option was this man."

A feminine voice made the entrance of the second and young Virgo' student. Shiva smiled holding his Pandora box with an arm. But that wasn't the reason why Ikki was impressed and seeing the Peacock Saint with big eyes.

"What?" Shiva asked removing her own smile.

"You have pants." Ikki said pointing to them. "And a shirt... a man shirt!"

"And? Is there any problem?" The Virgo' student just crossed his arms and pouted a bit. "When I began to use my beautiful dresses and skirt everyone was pointing them and now everyone does the same with my man clothes."

"What do you expect, girl?" Shaka smiled to Ikki hearing his point of view. "I had seen you as a girl all these months and suddenly you look like the first day you came back to life." He sighed as he came close. "It is part of your costume?"

Shiva showed his tongue in a childish way and quickly kiss him. Ikki just make a disgusted sound.

"Today I'm a boy." He smiled as he and Agora walked to the stairs. "But in the end I'm always me."

"A weirdo." Ikki chuckled.

"Don't call to my sister like that." Agora looked a bit angry.

"That's true, Ikki." Shaka placed his hand over his student's shoulder. "Please respect my students as you respect me."

"Ok, ok... sorry then." Ikki smiled coming close to both students. "So, wish you luck to you both. Take care of this asshole, doesn't have cosmos."

"Ikki..." Agora made another angry expression.

"Hey, he knows I love him. Anyway, wish you the best."

"Thank you, and take care." Agora give his hand and moved some stairs down.

"Bye, bye, handsome!" Shiva smiled to hug him and kiss his cheek.

"Yes, indeed you are yourself. Take care, darling."

Both students walked downstairs and Ikki came close to Shaka. Both smiled and turned around to see the Temple the young Saint needed to take care.

"If you need any help, Mu will be glad to help you. And my servants will help with some things, even cook for you."

"Don't worry, you gave me all the instructions and I do remember them all."

"Well, another important thing. There is a candle in the meditation room... don't turn it off, please."

"Isn't dangerous to have a candle all night there? You have a lot of carpets and flammable things."

"You are the most flammable thing in the whole Sanctuary... you and Aiolia." Shaka smiled to begin to walk to the stairs alongside Ikki. "But I'm being serious. Don't turn off the candle, any night. When I arrive I'll turn it off myself."

The Phoenix Saint see him as he couldn't understand the language the Virgo Saint was speaking.

"If that makes you happy." Ikki shrank his shoulders. "I'll not turn off the candle."

The Virgo Saint smiled and nodded to make him know he trusted totally. He gave his hand to shake it and say goodbye but Ikki didn't mind and held his hand to pulled Shaka and hug him. They were like that some seconds as Ikki pat his back.

"Take care, Shaka. You need to come back, I will not be the Virgo Saint forever."

"Don't worry, I'll come back. And please, do not turn..."

"Off the candles. Yes, yes, I mean... no, I'll not turn it off."

"Perfect. Then see you in four days."

"I'll count them, honey!" Ikki said turning his back to begin his walk to the Temple.

The Virgo Saint smiled and began his walk to reach his two students, leaving his temple and that candle under the Phoenix's hands.


	2. The Candle II

_**THE CANDLE (PART II)** _

 

"Ikki, the Virgo Saint."

"Sounds nice... but I'm Leo..."

"Well, you had the Sagittarius Cloth once." Hyoga smiled as he was finishing his dish, almost licking his fingers. "You was so handsome in that potato bag."

The Phoenix Saint laughed before drinking some more wine. Virgo's servants began to clean the big table where both Saints finished eating. It wasn't a joke when Ikki said he wanted to make a party with his best friend and brother, the Cygnus Saint. Of course, they parties were totally different of a normal one. They always enjoyed their time talking or seeing movies. This time, eating all they wanted and exploring the Virgo Temple.

"I'm always handsome, Hyoga. But hey, you look very nice in your Aquarius Cloth."

"I'm awesome always so yeah." Hyoga cleaned his smile with a napkin and let a servant take his empty plate. "So, we almost finish exploring the Temple. Lamentable is almost midnight so..."

"Ah right, you need to go to sleep early."

While Ikki was there because wanted to make a favour to his best friend between the Golden Saints, some other were training to be the next ones in the high ranks to use their Zodiacal Cloth. Even if the Golden Saints were alive again, some of them decided to leave their places to the next generation. Camus, Mu, Aiolos and specially Dohko were some of them, and the best option were their students or, in Aiolos case, one of the Bronze Saints that were a hero. But indeed the Phoenix Saint didn't want to have that responsibility and duty.  
The Cygnus Saint stand up and make Ikki do the same.

"C'mon! I just want to see a last room." He winked to his friend. "The meditation room."

But in that moment a servant was close.

"Excuse me, Saints?" She said with a low voice. "Master Shaka asked us not to enter there."

"Really?" Ikki' smile said a lot of the haughtiness he has towards the servants. "Maybe he said that to you, but I'm someone special for him and even for the whole Sanctuary." He smiled to hold Hyoga around his shoulders. "Let's go to see the meditation room."

The Cygnus Saint smiled to the servant, not like a monk but more like apologize for his brother, because even so Hyoga knew wasn't that correct.

.

The beautiful carpets and paintings were in totally darkness, the only light to be there was the one the door let pass and the candles that were in the front of the entrance but in the other side of the room, thanks to this in between there was a weird darkness that was trying to have some more light. Both brothers were around seeing them; Ikki was already in love with the art and the few details he could see and the beautiful sculptures around the floor were catching his eyes and hypnotized him in a way. Meanwhile, Hyoga was more interested in the paintings than the carpets or the sculptures. He smiled seeing how his old brother was touching the statues to feel not just the texture but imagine better. Being student of such cultural and smart Golden Saint, Hyoga didn't have other option but enjoy the paintings and drawings of different European artists. He could remember so well how Camus tried to make him and Isaak love the art but, while Isaak enjoyed almost all, he just felt love for the colour and the visual, and of course the music.

Both saints spend time in silence, making a bit anxious to Hyoga. Being in such dark place, with some interesting paintings and statues and the rough carpet under his feet to then feel the cold marble suddenly, didn't help to the Cygnus Saint, especially when abruptly felt the warm of the candles. He turned to see Ikki, who was over the floor but without being on his knees because he wanted to see a carpet closer.

"Hey, Ikki." Hyoga interrupted him to point the candles. "Are these the candles Shaka said?"

They were under a bit lotus image with an "OM" painted and were in circles over a beautiful mirror table that made the light come even with more intensity than a normal candle. They weren't so big, but exactly in the middle was one with different colour and around the Holy Rosary.

Curious about it, the Phoenix Saint walked to be at side of his brother and see the candles. He remembered well and Shaka just said about one candle.

"I bet one of these is the candle Shaka told me." Ikki came close to see the red candle and verify that had some texture. "But that one looks different. Has something written and... I think is Japanese."

"I can't see... you have great eyes, brother."

"Well, I'm more familiar with the darkness than you, Hyoga." he then decided to do something to show him. "Look."

With all the careful he could had, Ikki moved his arm between the other candles and took the red one out of the circle the Holy Rosary made. He smiled seeing how the fire wasn't pain around his skin and could put the candle close to them.

"Let me see." Hyoga came close but Ikki needed to move the candle.

"Be careful with your hair, Barbie."

"Barbie? Ok, Ikki, that's your boyfriend Shaka."

"He is not my boyfriend." he said seriously.

"Not yet." Hyoga smiled and winked.

"I have some news for you; there is something called friendship. It is the shit you and the other three are always talking about."

"Bullshit!" the Cygnus Saint loved to tease to the other bird Saint so he gave some light pats in his back. "Oh, Shaka you are so handsome." he began to change his voice to something deeper and act with an angry face. "Please marry me under Athena's Statue!"

"Shut up, stupid assbird. And you wanted to see the fucking candle. See it now!"

He already know that his brother liked to tease him like that, but sometimes he just didn't want to have a bother like a duck trying to imitate his voice. So now, Ikki pulled the candle towards Hyoga, of course he reacted as anyone in the world when the fire is too close and moved with a jump backwards, and lamentably he could feel the warm of the other candles very close. Before he could feel the burn of the fire, the Cygnus Saint jumped again forward, of course Ikki saw him come closer and turned with the candle in hand throwing a gasp feeling the slight push on his back. The light that was around his hands abruptly disappeared.

"Fuck, Hyoga!" he said with an angry face showing the candle. "Shaka will be piss off, he was serious about the candle!"

"What? Hey, it was an accident! And why that stupid candle is so important?"

"I don't know, he just told me to don't turn it off. Something that, as you can see, you did."

"I did? No, no, you and I. The candle was turned off because WE did it. And it was an accident." Ikki sighed and came close to place it in the middle of the Rosary. "You know, I'm impressed." he smiled to tease a bit more to his brother. "You normally don't accept missions or make favours to other Saints, and you are always so curious about your work that you ask the tiniest detail. How is that you didn't ask about the candle? I think you want to remove the "Virgoness" in the Virgo Saint."

The Phoenix Saints turned and crossed his arms.

"First, and as I said, Shaka is my friend. Second, he just told me minutes before go and I didn't want to stop him and I really didn't thought it was that important. Shaka and his students are weird sometimes. And last... if you mean I want to fuck Shaka... no, Hyoga, just no." he sighed a bit tired. "I will never understand why you think we are something when we are just FRIENDS."

"Yeah, that's what Shunrei and Shiryu said once."

"Fuck, Hyoga!"

"No! Fuck Shaka! And so hard and..."

"Oh my..." suddenly he throw a punch to Hyoga's arm. "Shut up, ok? Just shut up and let's fix this. Shaka said he wanted to see the candle still with fire when he arrived. Now is turn off."

The silence was there while Ikki began to think. Hyoga, at his side, was just very serious and then laughed a bit. Indeed Ikki couldn't understand till his brother just took another candle to place it close to the red one and let it lightning with its fire.

"Done."

But in the moment he said that and smiled to Ikki, the candle turned off again. Both Saints saw this, this time Ikki took the candle and put it close to do the same than the Cygnus Saint. But once more, the candle turned off.

"What is this?" Ikki asked seeing around. "Maybe some air is coming inside the room."

"Yeah, let me help you."

Again, Ikki held the candle in his hand to then Hyoga could make some little 'walls' around with his own hands. The fire was there again and Hyoga smiled... but the light turned off.

"Fuck this shit." Ikki said angry to turn it on again.

This time, Hyoga began to feel the cosmos of his best friend around the candle. He smiled seeing it still on, but he then felt some cold air passing over his nape and, without expecting his own reaction, he could feel a cold breath on his ear to then hear a deep and sick groan.

"Did you heard that?" Ikki asked turning around.

Hyoga saw him and saw their backs.

"Hear what?"

"Ah, maybe was that stupid air entering to the room."

"But... wouldn't it turn off the other candles too?"

The blue haired Saint just kept in silence. It was true, if the air was around then the other candles would turned off.

"Maybe is around here." He moved his hand in circles to let him know he meant around them. "So, better let's place it where it needs to be. But just let me see if that is... oh, it wasn't Japanese. It is Hindi maybe? Anyway..."

He did what he said and let the candle in the middle of the Rosary. Again, the inconsistent light was there and they felt it was necessary to go out. Shaka wasn't there but his servants could know this.

As they both were walking back to the door, Hyoga saw around the statues.

"They are a bit creepy."

"They are not. I like them." Ikki smiled. "It is just a bit different than your European art, my good duck."

The Russian man smiled and nodded. Ikki was right, he never saw those kind of statues in his art history books. That's why he didn't mind to close the door as he began to tease Ikki a bit more.

"Are you going to sleep in your boyfriend's room?"

"Oh, Hyoga, you need to admit you... wait!" He stopped the door after giving a sight to the interior one last time. "Hey what..."

Ikki pushed the door to open it but kept in silence seeing around.

"What?" Hyoga asked.

"I thought someone was inside."

"Ok, I think you are tired, baby Ikki."

"Yeah, maybe was a statue. Anyway, admit you are jealous of Shaka." He smiled closing totally the door.

"Yes I'm. Now I need to go sleep to Aquarius Temple."

"Don't you want to stay?"

"No, I don't think Camus wants that." Hyoga laughed as both began to walk. "He and Milo doesn't like when I spend too much time with you."

"Milo?" Ikki asked. "Was he around again?"

"Yes, he is always around."

"I don't like him, he disrespects to Shiva always."

"I don't like him totally neither, but well... today he was bothering me telling me horror stories about the Sanctuary. He said so many souls are trapped in between the Temple's walls from each Holy War, not just in Cancer Temple, but in all of them. So, he says there are ghosts around."

"For sure he was drunk." Ikki laughed when they both were in the back entrance of the temple. "Or is a scared baby."

"Or is a scarlet baby!"

"Woah! Hyoga! That joke was terrible!"

"I'll not do it again, promise." He said seriously to then explode in a laughter with Ikki. "Ok, enough! I need to sleep."

"Me too." Ikki calmed down a bit. "I love you, brother. Have sweet dreams."

"Thanks, Ikki. I'm glad you are around again." They both hugged each other and gave a kiss in their cheek. "Love you, see you tomorrow. Have sweet dreams with your husband Shaka."

"Get out, assduck!"

Ikki laughed pushing him out. He smiled seeing his brother waving at him and then running upstairs. The Phoenix turned still with a smile because truly enjoyed always the time with his best friend. But as he did this, the corner of his eye perceived something. Phoenix Ikki didn't see anything so he just kept his smile and walked directly to the guest room the Temple had thinking that he really needed to sleep and expecting to have sweet dreams that first night in the Virgo Temple. And wishing that candle couldn't turn off again.


	3. The Nightmare

_**The Nightmare** _

The cold nights were something normal in that time of the year and around that zone specially. Some legends said that the first Patriarch decided to place the Sanctuary there because the weather was extreme from one point to another. It was enough cold to have some Saints under their cover and too hot in the days to make the training even harder than a normal one. But for a Saint like Ikki that weather was nothing, he and Hyoga were the two from the famous five Bronze Saints that could bear the cold without problems; Hyoga was used to it and Ikki had a hot cosmos... and was such rough person.

Anyway, such rough and hard Saint was now under the covers of his 'bed', wasn't more than some carpets, blankets and pillows over the floor. Maybe was the same weather than every night he passed in that temple before, but something in the air was cold enough to woke him up. He had his eyes closed and holding the cover over his body to protect it for such weird feeling. Ikki began to shake a bit and decided to use his cosmos to fix it, and abruptly he felt pressure over himself.

Opening the eyes and moving a bit was enough to remove that pressure. Nothing was there. Ikki saw around the room just to find, as it should, was alone. Again, decided to close his eyes and wrap himself into the blanket before trying to sleep.

Some minutes passed, he was still feeling cold and if he had his eyes opened, and Ikki could see his own breath. The hot cosmos was there but wasn't working as it should. But what woke up Ikki was something else in the ambience. He felt he couldn't breathe and a terrible pain in his chest made him stand up quickly. His respiration was quickly and constant when he felt again the air going inside his ostriches and full his lungs. Again, the darkness was there but Ikki could feel that around him was something... or someone.

He stand there, without saying a word and trying to find what was it. Nothing. Just silence. But he didn't need to heard, he already knew something was there. He didn't move, Ikki tried to recognize the sound of his breathe and other noises that were normal in the Virgo's Temple. Nothing changed. Nothing new. But the feeling was still there.

With that feeling around, Ikki decided to lay down and try to sleep, but in the moment he closed his eyes felt a terrible chill at his back. Something was there and Ikki couldn't know what it was. He wasn't afraid, but was feeling anxious. The Phoenix Saint began to breathe slowly to calm down and maybe try to think in something else, but a weird sound began to remove his peace. He opened the eyes once more and tried to recognize the noise. Now something changed. There was something new around.

_Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch._

Ikki decided not to move. Anything that thing was, it has claws. And the sound was coming closer to him.

_Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch._

The claws were passing thru the floor making that terrible noise. The Phoenix Saint took a deep breath and stand up with his cosmos in a high level, so whatever it was it would killed. But the surprise was higher when he found himself in the dark. There was nothing around, just the light under the door that lead to the hall of Virgo's Temple. Ikki saw around trying to find the noise once more but there wasn't. Still, he felt someone was seeing him from behind. The young man turned slowly, his hands helped to have a solid base and can do it. But was the same than before, nothing or no one was there.

Ikki decided to lie down once more and cover himself. He knew something was different, something was totally out of place and couldn't know what. Thanks to all this, spend some minutes thinking and waiting for the noise, but it didn't appear. Not till he closed his eyes again.

_Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch._

_Knock, knock, tap._

Now there was another sound, but now he was thinking maybe everything was part of his imagination, maybe he was just tired.

_Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch._

_Knock, knock, tap._

Was easy to heard the sound of the claws, but this new sound was different. It was something hard hitting slowly the floor. It was something round, not with a point, and was a bit wet because the sound finished always in a sound not that hard.

_Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch._

_Knock, knock, tap._

_Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch._

_Knock, knock, tap._

But the sound was driving him crazy. Till it stop. Ikki sighed and opened a bit the eyes. He was lied down over his shoulder and his right side, so he just needed to see down his nose and see the light of the door. Something was there. This time he closed his eyes. A black silhouette was over the floor and it was making the light disappear behind it. Ikki, slowly tried to move, but something was in his back. He felt a terrible pain, a pressure that wasn't from outside but inside, like if his breath or internal pain was trying to escape from his spine. He remember that pain like all the fights he had and hurt him physically inside. Was that. But thanks to this he couldn't move. The Phoenix Saint took a deep breath and opened his eyes widely and felt free again. Now was a bit tense, scared wasn't totally the words, but he didn't feel secure. Something or someone was there in the room. He wanted to see what it was…

He turned fast as he could to face the ceiling and stand up but, once more, he couldn't move. This time wasn't because the pain… was because what his eyes were seeing.

Now, for the first time in so many years, Ikki was astonished and the word scared could fit well in what he felt.

A terrible disfigured face was exactly in front of him. Ikki could smell the putrefaction from the skin and could see the white colour of it, with a combination of pink and red scratches full of blood as if some kind of animal with claws destroyed the face of whatever it was. It was a dream, for sure. It needed to be. But Ikki was so impressed. He could see the black holes where the eyes supposed to be, the pieces of skin here and there that were more like a hurricane over the bones. The mouth was open, or that's what he thought seeing the yellow teeth, just to discover that the jaw wasn't there. The blood was dripping from there and the eye holes, but that creature was still moving the face, making expressions and moving the head side to side. Ikki could see the bones from the neck and the shoulders, his eyes saw down his nose to see it was a woman even if one of the breast was cut in the middle to show the fat and the meat. The Phoenix Saint didn't move but turned a bit to his side and could see the hands that were close to his arm. She didn't have nails but long claws with blood on them.

_Agh… agh…_

Ikki turned to see that face again. For sure it was a dream, a terrible nightmare. Wasn't he used to have nightmare all the time? Well, then why now was being so terrible?

_Agh… arghh… ARGH!_

The sounds that thing was making were terrible groans. Ikki could see the muscles of the neck and some of the mouth, but he shake and felt a terrible cold when felt the face coming close to his own face.

_Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch._

His eyes turned a bit to see the claws moving slowly to his arm. The young man felt the cold bloody hands over his arms and the smell of the putrefaction so close to his nose that remembered very well how smelled the Death Queen Island.

_Agh… agh…_

He could heard it close to his ear. He felt the claws touching his skin and closed the eyes thinking that maybe he could wake up like this. But as he felt one of the claws going inside his skin, he needed to open his eyes. The pain wasn't supposed to be in a dream. But the claws was even bleeding his skin. Something was terribly wrong… but was even worse when the monster or whatever it was kept in silence and then…

" ** _Ikki._** "

The Phoenix Saint stand up with a gasp. He woke up in that instant of pain and hearing his name. But he wasn't scared or impressed because that nightmare knew his name. He had in mind that for sure the pain was because the stress around him, he was feeling stressed because was worried of his brother Shun that was still in Japan and about Shaka going to a mission without cosmos. Maybe that was the reason of the pain… but hearing his name from that monster with that sweet familiar voice. Esmeralda's voice.

He saw around, again in darkness. Alone. Without that terrible thing in front of him. Ikki took a deep breath and sat down to put his head down over his hands. Why having a nightmare that night and in that place? He could remember he liked to stay in Virgo's temple because the peace that was around and how he never had nightmares when he was the guest of his good friend Shaka. But now the nightmare was terrible. Or maybe wasn't a nightmare?

_Scrtch, scrtch… Scrtch, scrtch…_

Ikki moved his head up. The black silhouette was over the floor once again.

"What the fuck are you?!" Ikki yelled to then try to calm down. "What I'm doing? It is a dream… it is just a…"

He felt his blood being cold. Literally.

He touched his arm and found the blood on it. With the few light and his eyes recognising the dark space around, he could see the shiny red colour of his own blood over his hand.

_Scrtch, scrtch…_

_Knock, knock, tap…_

Ikki now was seeing that monster in front of him. The body was naked, but cut in half. One of the bones of the hips was hitting the floor and the blood was still dropping making a pool of red water around that was being hitting later by the naked bone.

He moved slowly, removed the blanket around him and felt a terrible cold breeze around. He never removed the eyes from that thing, it was now in front of the door scratching the door. It was a terrible noise, with a disgusting smell and Ikki was already feeling dizzy. But the worse wasn't finished yet.

"Ikki?" he heard a soft sweet voice. "Ikki?"

The Phoenix Saint turned slowly his head, first keep his sight in the monster, then to the darkness at his right. There wasn't darkness anymore because his eyes were now used to this and could see perfectly.

"No…"

The flowered dress was full of blood. She looked scared seeing the monster and then turning to see Ikki. She wasn't crying but her eyes were shinning.

"Ikki… help me." Esmeralda held her own hands and her eyes were following the monster. "Help me, please. I know how to stop them but…"

"No… this isn't real."

"Ikki, listen me, this is real. Ikki, please just…"

"Shut up!" Ikki stand up and move backwards. Thanks to this the monster stopped and turned to see him. "I don't know what are you, but leave me alone!"

"Ikki." She began to cried and shaking. "I'm Esmeralda, Ikki. Believe me."

"She is dead…" Ikki turned to see the monster. "Like that thing… and all this is a nightmare."

_Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch._

_Knock, knock, tap._

The monster or whatever it was began to move in his direction. Ikki just stand there seeing it, impressed of the sounds, the smell and the disgusting seeing. But he could heard the sobs of Esmeralda or whatever it was. She was crying and asking him to don't make any sound, but he didn't mind at all.

"Oh, please! Who is making this?!" he was angry totally.

Someone was playing with his mind and playing with the love of his life. Esmeralda stand up slowly and give some steps forwards.

"Ikki, this things can't catch you. All of this is real, and they can hurt you." She said with tears dropping to his bloody dress. "Just come here, you help me to get out and I help you to escape. Please…"

The Phoenix Saint moved his head to say no. He didn't want to suffer again, and his eyes were seeing the terrible monster that was leaving blood everywhere it passed. No, she wasn't Esmeralda and that terrible creature wasn't real.

"I'm tired… that's all." Ikki said for himself.

"No! Please, listen me!"

Esmeralda gasp when she saw the monster changing the direction of its head. Now the monster was seeing her. The yell of terror made Ikki felt a chill over his spine. Esmeralda moved backwards but felt down when the monster began to move at her direction.

"No… Ikki! Please! Help me!"

_Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch._

_Knock, knock, tap._

_Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch._

_Knock, knock, tap._

_Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch._

_Knock, knock, tap._

The monster was faster now, making those groans a terrible background sound. Esmeralda crying and asking for help and Ikki just there in silence seeing the floor.

"I'm tired…" he said once more. "This is a nightmare."

"It is not! Ikki!" Esmeralda yell once more when the claws of the monster held her feet. "Please! Ikki!" her cries of pain began to be terrible in Ikki's ears. "At least…" she was trying to calm down. "At least don't let them catch you…"

"Shut up." Ikki said with a serious and tired face.

But for a minute he felt terrible. He turned to see her face. Again, Esmeralda's face with pain and scared. She was just a child, she was a kid when she died. And now that Ikki was a young adult he could see the difference and how the time passed; his last memory of her was a child.

Esmeralda tried to move but already both claws where over her legs. Both of them penetrate her skin and muscles. That disgusting and hard sound of her yells made Ikki turned and give the back. The nightmare was destroying his nerves. But he needed to turn again hearing his name. The monster was over Esmeralda and suddenly its yellow teeth began to grow.

"Ikki! Help me!" Esmeralda moved but was useless.

A yell of pain, suffer and terror made Ikki gasp and felt a terrible pain in the chest. He shook hearing it and seeing that. The teeth of the monster nail down over her abdomen and open it widely. But she was still alive. She was still moving, trying to escape, crying and yelling. Ikki couldn't anymore and moved fast to the door.

"Ikki! Ikki! Please!" the last yell wasn't that sweet voice but the vocal cords being destroyed after so much yell. "Don't leave me!"

The door closed making a hard noise. Ikki was holding the beautiful decoration that was the handle, but he was shaking and began to cry. He could still hearing the yells of Esmeralda inside the room, and it sounded so real. Why?

" ** _Isn't funny?_** "

Ikki turned to see what made that voice. It wasn't a human voice, it sounded deep and old but with a weird pitch that made him felt nervous.

" ** _You… loved her so much… and you… killed her… again…_** "

The Phoenix Saint could hear the yells still, but they stopped. He turned to the door and began to hear the noise of the claws and the naked bone again.

" ** _You… are the… monster… not me…_** "

He was so tired. He just wanted to wake up, but his head moved to see what it was in front of him now.

Each temple in the Sanctuary had a main hall that connected to other to move thru the rooms and training places. Ikki was in one of those secondary halls and he could see in the other side a human body. But literally was a human body. Without skin. With muscles and blood. Walking in a zig zag way and dragging one of its feet.

" ** _Ikki… you are not a saint… nobody… will… love you_** " this new monster had the head down but he could see there was something on his face. " ** _You killed her… you… kill yourself… you kill your mother._** "

"What are you?"

" ** _Who… who are you… that's the question._** " The body stopped and began to laugh.

Over his head, the body had a long white hair with some red spots because the blood. And in the moment it stand up and showed his face, Ikki couldn't move once more. He began to hear the scratches over the door and his hand didn't move to let it close, but he was in a shock. The terrible mask of his old master was attached to that body. Red and blue strings were holding it directly from the muscles. Ikki felt that if he could pull the mask, a fountain of blood would get out of that face.

" ** _You… are a monster… I… just tried… to help her._** " Guilty pointed him. " ** _You tried… to kill your brother… you tried… to kill… your best friend._** " The mask began to move slowly to make a smile. " ** _You… are a monster._** "

"What are you?"

" ** _I'm… your old… master…I'm… your demon._** "

The scratched stop from the other side of the door. But the door began to move abruptly. In the other side of the room, the monster wanted to get out.

"I know this is a nightmare."

" ** _No… you are… in Virgo's Temple…_** " Guilty gave some steps forward. " ** _You… belong… to us._** "

"To you?" Ikki laughed, but was terrified. "And who the fuck are you?"

" ** _Your… demons…_** " the mask shook and some blood began to drip when it smiled again. Even the breath and the blink was made by the muscles behind the mask but it was moving as it was the skin. " ** _And… we… will kill… you._** " The sound that went out of that mouth made Ikki felt dizzy, it was a disgusting groan. " ** _As… we… killed… her._** "

Ikki couldn't anymore. He began to cry and shake. He turned to see Guilty, who was moving towards him. He couldn't understand why he was feeling so much terror and why he felt terrible dizzy, but for now he knew it wasn't a nightmare at all.

Ikki began to feel a terrible pain over his body and then all of that made him see the truth. He wasn't sleeping.

The disgusting body was leaving a path of blood and even some pieces of his own flesh while came close to the Phoenix Saint.

" ** _Better... give up._** " He could smell the blood and the spoiled flesh. " ** _If you... die... you will... see your... mother... and... to Esmeralda... once more._** "

The only two women that Ikki wanted to see one more time. He was still remembering his beautiful mother and the so sweet Esmeralda. But the pain over his body was taking all his energy. He could see how the door was opening slightly with each scratch the monster was doing in the other side of the door, but he couldn't give all his energy. Meanwhile his old master was too close to him.

But what made him give a step backwards was when Ikki saw the hand of Guilty trying to catch him. Even if the Esmeralda he saw inside the room was a nightmare and just an illusion, he remembered well she told him not to let them catch him. Maybe wasn't real but he didn't want that.

His body shake because the pain and felt how something was making it feel wet. Ikki turned to see his arms and found all his scars being open. Every single one made in a fight or the training was open now. He felt the blood dropping out of his nose and even close to his eyes. Seconds after this terrible discovery, Ikki turned to see the door and the corpus. The door was open and his old master and the white pale monster were coming close to him.

" ** _Give... up... I will... show you... your escape... from this... pain._** "

It wasn't a dream. The only escape was the dead. But Ikki smiled because of this with blood in his lips and teeth.

"Catch me first."

He was Ikki, the Legendary Phoenix Saint. He wouldn't give up so easily. He just run fast enough to be in the other side of the hall and turn to see them. Those monsters were slow indeed.  
The first idea was to use his cosmos and attack them but that wasn't an option when he realized he didn't have cosmos. He was feeling so weird, for the first time after so long Ikki was just a strong human being. Maybe then would be a good idea to go out of the Temple and ask for help to Dohko or Aiolia or any golden Saint who was close.

The Phoenix Saint began his way to the door still bleeding and with pain. At the same moment he have his first twenty steps, the lights began to tilt. He stop some seconds and let a gasp go out when found his clothes full of blood. Ikki kept walking a bit more when the lights were still tilting over and over. But suddenly Ikki felt a terrible pain in the entrance of the stomach and began to move up. The Phoenix Saint stopped and moved down a bit to throw up. He couldn't stop for some seconds and when he could he just cleaned his lips and lay over a wall.

"Fuck!" He hit the wall feeling weak and terrible. "What is happening?"

Nobody would answer him, he was sure of that, but then he wasn't thinking even in hear and answer. His nose found a fetid and acid smell close to him. He turned to see his hand, the one he use to clean the vomit from his mouth, and just found a terrible and viscous black blood. Seeing the floor the same substance was around a Phoenix's feather. He felt again a terrible pain in the stomach, but this time moved a bit to try to throw up. Ikki couldn't but felt a sharp over his throat so he didn't wait a second to place his fingers inside him and find what it was. Indeed he was feeling suffocate and his lungs for sure were receiving a bit of air with blood. But he then felt the sharp passing over his tongue, even cut it a bit, to be out. He felt dizzy and terrible knowing it was another Phoenix's feather. Even if this Bronze Saint was strong in any sense, his body and the same mind were being destroyed. He threw up again the same black viscosity that was his blood. And the lights turned off.

Darkness. Silence. Nothing more.

Ikki stayed there without moving and seeing around. The main hall, in comparison with the other secondary ones, was in a complete darkness he could feel. Literally. The Phoenix Saint moved his hand to find the darkness wasn't more than a dark smoke. It smelled like burned wood and flesh, even burned blood. And it sounded. Yes, the black smoke sounded as hundreds of groans, moans and people in pain. And Ikki could recognize some voices.

" ** _You... killed so... many people._** " Again, Guilty's voice was around. " ** _You... burned them... you cut them... and then you..._** "

"I killed them all." Ikki answered. With a smile.

" ** _Are you... so proud?_** " Guilty laughed. " ** _I'm... impressed... how do you... expect to... make master Shaka... forgive you?_** " He heard a deep and hard breath as he could see the shadow of the corpus. " ** _What about... your little... brother?_** "

"It was my duty." Ikki stand up and began to walk towards the big beautiful main doors. "I'm an Athena' Saint."

As he began to walk, every time he passed in front of the secondary halls, Ikki saw the dead bodies of his enemies. Burned, some crazy ones were hitting his head over the wall and scratching the floor with bleeding fingers without nails, some others hadn't part of their bodies and some others were just dead bodies on the floor. All of them were so young. Again, Ikki was fifteen when he fought them and now he was twenty. But still he was smiling. It was his duty and in that past moment of his life he needed to kill or be killed. And how many lives he saved because this? What about his adorable daughter that now was in Italy because the school? Ikki would never feel guilty because of this.

The darkness was deep and heavy but Ikki could find the door.

"See you, old master." He smiled feeling how those two monsters were close him.

" ** _You can't... leave your mother... and me._** "

"That monster isn't my mother." Ikki felt again that sharp in his stomach.

" ** _What if... she is? I had... never... lied to you... Ikki._** "

That disgusting bag of fetid and spoiled flesh was right. Master Guilty never lied to Ikki.

"Well..." he held the door's red handle. "I know my mother is dead as you are. Bye."

The door opened and he gave a step ahead. The sudden light made him blink some seconds to then open again his eyes. Even if he didn't want this, it happened.

Darkness. Silence. Nothing more.


	4. A Legion

**A LEGION**

"What's this?" Ikki asked to himself finding his location was in the same door and in the same hall. It was just like he entered to the Virgo's temple. This time, the secondary halls were in dark except one.

" ** _I told... you._**  " He heard the voice of his old master over his neck. " ** _You... can't... leave us._** "

Ikki felt a terrible heavy pain on his back so he didn't thought twice when began to run away from it. He was in pain, full of blood and with a sharp over his stomach, feeling dizzy and his ears suffering from the moans and groans of the monster who was chasing him. Ikki could heard the constant hit of the bone over the floor and understood that now the monster that was supposed to be his mother was being faster. As he could remember her, a great and strong female Saint running thru the Sanctuary.

The Phoenix Saint reached the only hall with light and again his body couldn't. He began to throw up without stopping and many sharp Phoenix's feathers from his clot was going out. He took a deep breath and cleaned his lips trying to calm down now that the sound of the monster wasn't there.

" _Are you fine, mister Saint?_  "

Ikki felt a coldness over his spine. He moved slowly to turn his face to the inside of the hall. It was terrified.

" _Do you need help, mister?_  "

He could see hundreds of little kids wearing black clothes and even with black skin as the coal. Without faces. Their voices sounded like hundreds of kids in a high pitch talking in the same time.

"Who are you?"

" _We are a legion._  " They said without moving even a millimetre.

The Phoenix Saint stood up and saw them a bit astonished. They looked shorter than his daughter Helena but he was indeed feeling fear of them. Without his cosmos he was just a human being.

"What do you want from me? What the fuck are you?" Ikki yelled.

" _We are a legion. All the kids you killed._  "

"I had never killed an innocent and much less a child." Ikki smiled and turned to the darkness. "Whoever is doing this, let me tell you are mistaken. I had never hurt or kill a child."

" _But you killed our parents._  "

Ikki turned to see them. All those saints and all those enemies he killed without problem maybe and for sure could be parents in a future or even in the moment he killed them.

"That... that can't be."

" _Yes, it can._  " The kids kept talking. " _Their destiny had lot of possibilities and we were one of them. But you killed them and we couldn't live._ "

" ** _It is... so sad._**  " Again the voice of Guilty. " ** _The Saints... can marry... can love... and can have kids... How many... of them... were having... a great... future?_** " Ikki sighed a bit impressed for the kids. " ** _How many... kids... would you... could have... in a different... future... with Esmeralda?_** "

"Don't you dare to say that!"

" ** _Maybe two... of those kids... you have... in front... are your... children._**  "

"Shut up!"

" ** _Do you... still thinking... in a... future... with the... person you... love?_**  "

"Wh- what?" Ikki decided to place his back to the wall to still seeing the kids and the darkness of the main hall. "What do you mean?"

" ** _You... will not... have those kids... you will... not save them._**  " Guilty laughed. " ** _You are... a murderer._** "

"What do you want from me?! Why are you doing this?!"

" _We want you kill yourself._  " The kids said in chorus. " _This is our nature._  "

Ikki couldn't understand anymore. They wasn't trying to kill him, but he could kill himself. That was the reason why he was throwing blades.

"Do you want me to kill myself with this?" Ikki said showing the Phoenix's feather he had in his hand still.

" ** _Yes._**  " The kid's voices and the Guilty's one said.

"I don't understand why."

" _Because this is our nature._  " The voice of the kids was every second more frightening than before.

"Then you need to stop. I'm a fucking Phoenix and an Athena' Saint. I don't give up so easily."

" _You can't order us. Only master Shaka has this power._  "

Ikki opened his eyes widely. The candle, the Holy Rosary and Shaka's cosmos. Of course. Anything those things were, were always in control when Shaka was around. Ikki smiled and began to laugh. He stand up and saw the kids.

"You can't kill me, I will not kill myself and I can order you."

" _You can't. Only master Shaka can do it._  "

"Surprise then." He smiled. "Shaka loves me and he will be very mad with you if I die. Plus, I love him too so that makes me important here. Now that I had being honest about my love, that makes me someone important towards him. I order you to stop this."

" _You can't order us. Only the master Shaka can do it._  "

"Didn't you hear? I'm a special person for your master."

" _We already knew that._  " Ikki kept in silence. " _We know all master Shaka let us know and everything that happens around him._ "

"Then why are you doing this?"

He couldn't understand well. Wasn't enough the fact that Shaka loved him in the same way he loved him back? He was totally sure after changing some letters with him, the way he talked with Ikki and that time he showed it with a special gift. He never said a word because was afraid but maybe that could help. Or not.

" _This is our nature. You are nothing more than a human being. Master Shaka is the only one that can control us._ " Suddenly as they finished they gave a step towards. They all looked like soldiers. " _We will push you physically and mentally now._ " They gave another step. "  _There is only one way to escape now._ " Another terrible step and their tiny hands pointed at the Phoenix Saint. " _Death._ "

In that moment Ikki felt like throwing up again. Five or six blades began to go out of his throat cutting his mouth and tongue. Indeed he saw them and decided to do it. Held one and saw it. It was beautiful and remind him his so adored cloth, and already had his crimson liquid on it.

"No." He said pointing the kids with the Phoenix's feather. "This isn't my time."

He was a warrior, one of the roughest and most powerful between his rank, he couldn't give up. He moved a step forward to take some impulse. Ikki's instinct said 'kill or be killed' and he was going to do so. But as he jumped he felt a wrap around his arm that pulled him over the darkness one more time.


	5. The true Face

**The true Face**

Whoever was this person, they made Ikki run all the way thru the hall. He could felt the smoke hitting his face and going inside his ostriches and the hard wrap. A part of him was thinking in use the blade and cut the hand of whoever the thing or person was. And then a little detail made him change.

"Are you fine?"

That voice was familiar to him. He smiled and took a deep breath feeling that everything was fixed in some way. Someway because suddenly he felt a terrible wrap in his other arm. Ikki felt the claws of a monster over his skin and when he turned he saw it again. The monster that once Guilty said was his mother now was holding him. Of course he didn't touch his heart before hitting it against a wall and hear a terrible scream.

"Shaka?" Ikki couldn't see him but could heard him easily. "Where are we going?"

The Golden Saint didn't answer but entered to one of the secondary halls and ran inside a room. The Phoenix felt a push to get inside and Shaka was in the door. He didn't close it totally to peek outside.

"Shaka?" Ikki was still on the floor and rose up seconds before. "Shaka, what happens?"

"They were following us." The other man was still seeing thru the small space from the open door. "I think all is fine now."

Ikki sighed and felt a bit better. But he had so many questions now. He didn't wait to make those questions. First one was the reason why Shaka was there. He answered because he felt a problem around his Temple. Second one why his students wasn't there. Because he didn't want to place them in danger. And the third one was why Shaka was running away from those terrible monsters if he could control them.

The silence was there some seconds as if the Virgo Saint was waiting for those things.

"Looks like I can't." His voice was still calm. "What did they ask you?"

"They want me to... kill myself." He was so tired he preferred to say nothing more.

Again the silence was there but outside Ikki could heard the groans and pain. Shaka was still in front the door giving his back to the Phoenix Saint.

"And what do you think, Phoenix?"

_A little detail that took Ikki off of guard._

"I can't do it..."

"Maybe... I'm sorry to say it but the only escape is that one." Ikki was impressed for this answer. "Would you let these monsters go out of the temple?"

"No but..."

"They can go out and looks like they are stronger than us."

_Another little detail._

"Shaka, are you really asking me to kill myself?"

"It is the only way, Phoenix."

Ikki was in pain indeed and felt already full of blood. He was holding the bloody Phoenix's feather between his fingers, enough to feel the blade but not cut himself. If Shaka was saying all this then it meant something important.

"You are right." Ikki said taking the feather even tighter. Some blood began to drop down. "Could you make me a favour?" The Virgo Saint nodded. "Could you say to Shiva that I will miss him?"

"Yes, Phoenix, I will."

"Promise me."

"I will tell Shiva you miss him."

_The last detail._

Shaka stopped calling him Phoenix for so long, he would never say someone is stronger than him and he always called to his beloved student with a feminine pronoun.

The Phoenix Saint held the feather and smiled to take an impulse and jump. He wouldn't die without fighting. But in the instant he was almost throwing his attack, Shaka's hair moved and held Ikki's hand to stop it.

For sure it wasn't Shaka, and when this monster turned it only have a big mouth with sharp teeth and a red eye where Shaka's bindi supposed to be. Opening the mouth a bit more Ikki could see two tongues and a disgusting green saliva.

"You aren't so smart." A high pitch voice that sounded like two or three went out of the monster's mouth. "Give up and die."

"I'm smarter than you."

Ikki smiled as he moved his wrist quickly to make the blade cut the hair of the monster. But it wasn't simple hair. In the moment it cut, black blood went out and the creature made a scream that Ikki felt in his spine as a cold touch. He hurt the enemy it but he was hurt himself too. Now his hand was dislocated and couldn't use it as before. Anyway he just held the blade with the other hand and waited the attack of the monster.

"You should already know that doesn't matter what you do, your destiny is die and be part of us."

"Too bad I don't believe in the destiny."

In the same moment he finished talking, something was holding him from behind. Both arms and legs were held by the hair or tentacles of this monster. In an instant, Ikki was on the air being held from his extremities.

"You should begin, Phoenix."

As always, Ikki was waiting for answer something sassy but he felt a pull not just from one arm or leg, but both of each one. It felt like a crack when his wrist went out of its place even more than before. Ikki gasped in pain and then he could heard the blood drops over the floor.

"Why me?" Ikki asked trying to not show his painful state. "The temple was always with people."

"Master Shaka protected them always. But you..." some terrible claws pointed him. "You broke the protection that had your name."

Memories of the words in the candle came back to Ikki's head. There were written in Sanskrit and now he could remember exactly the space on it that had his name. Shaka once taught him to write his own name and constellations. But as the Phoenix Saint was remembering all this, he suddenly felt other pull. This time felt it different as before. The skin was already in a terrible phase full of scars and open wounds, and every pull of the hair was cutting it more, even opening them more. Ikki yelled of pain feeling the skin lifting up every second a bit. The blood was something normal to see but never see that much from his own body. How wasn't he dying now?

He felt his conscience going because the pain. He was indeed in a kind of shock, feeling and in the same time couldn't feel the pain, it was something terrible but was so out of himself he couldn't know exactly how to react.

A wet sensation appeared close to his wounds. The two tongues were licking his blood leaving a green saliva. It was more than disgusting.

"The pain will push you." the monster said without moving its lips. "And the same tiredness of your body will make you feel like dying, but you will not die."

A dry and heavy hit could be heard when Ikki’s body felt over the floor. He was still awake but feeling so dizzy and tired as never before. The Phoenix Saint felt a terrible pain in the abdomen when the monster stand up over him. Again, it was looking exactly as Shaka even if his face was covered of the blond hair of the Virgo Saint.

"I will not kill you, Phoenix." its hand was now human and had the Phoenix's feather on it. "It is something you should have done before. Don't worry, nobody will miss you and even your young brother can take care of himself."

To be honest, Ikki was being defeated. He was feeling weaker, so much things happened in one night that even his mind was tired. The Bronze Saint spent some seconds with the eyes closed trying to hold his breath. And when he opened them his hand lift up to held the Phoenix's Feather.

"I hope Shaka makes you pay all this."

"I don't think so."

The Phoenix Saint closed his eyes and slowly moved his arm close to his neck. He could felt the blade over his skin and began to shake. Ikki was the bravest of the Saints, he earned a reputation for his way to be. This act of taking his life was just being a coward... nothing like Ikki. But what else he could do? He couldn't escape now, he was tired. Looked like a bad dream that finished in something almost real as his pain and even defeat him. He was like that and wanted to finish with all right now. The point of the feather began to move slowly making a bit of pressure over an important blood conductor. Just a bit more and he could kill himself.

"Stop, Ikki."

He did stop indeed. His hand moved a bit away from his neck and Ikki moved his head to see where that voice came from.

The flowered dress was full of blood and he could even see her open abdomen. Her face was full of scratches and red in some spots because the bleed of her scars. Esmeralda, anyway, was smiling.

"Don't do it, Ikki." she said. "Just wait a bit longer..."

"When you lost conscience and repeat all this again?" the monster said with Shaka's voice but with an echo. "Because we will make you repeat all."

"And I will still at your side." Esmeralda gave some steps forward. "I will repeat everything with you."

"Better finish now, Ikki."

"Believe me, just wait a bit longer."

"You was thinking in kill yourself some seconds ago." the monster showed again his disgusting and macabre smile. "I know it."

"Ikki, you are strong." the girl didn't wait to run and fell over her knees to be at Ikki' side and held his hand. "You will be all right."

For a second it felt so real. The cold hand of Esmeralda touching his hand and her warm smile. Ikki left the Phoenix's Feather fall down and moved his arm slowly and shaking. Even if her beautiful and childish face was full of blood, the Saint didn't wait to caress it. She came closer to kiss his lips as before and then turned to see the monster.

"Go away... now."

"No one but master Shaka can control us."

"You know he will not let you kill Ikki. Go away now."

"If I go..." suddenly the hair moved around the bedroom and the mouth with two tongues appeared as well the light of the red eye. "You come with me!"

It was instantly when the monster held Esmeralda with its tentacles and moved a step backwards. The little girl couldn't yell this time because the monster closed her mouth. The pressure was so much she was crying and Ikki could see her jaw being open in a terrible way. He tried to move and do something, but after all it was just another illusion of her beloved. Those monsters were destroying him physically and mentally.

Even like that, he held her hand tight as the copy of the Virgo Saint was moving backwards to the darkness and dragging Esmeralda with it. Ikki was losing her again and this time was again his fault.

"Ikki."

A third voice appeared but he was already too tired to try to recognize it.

The monster stopped and turned to the door. It was totally open and was just a white light in the other side. Ikki decided not keep his eyes opened and felt the walk of someone over the floor.

"Ikki." the voice said again.

This time, the Phoenix Saint felt some arms taking his almost dead body from the floor. Other pair of arms held his chest. He opened his eyes a bit more just to find himself being dragged backwards. Six arms were around him and he just felt like falling asleep, all the tiredness and weakness was now over his body.

 

"Sleep, Ikki." and a hand closed his eyes.


	6. The Wake up

**The wake up**

Everything was darkness. Ikki felt as he was on water and then the sweet breeze over his wet body. He could smell some peach or mango essence around him and felt some warm and soft hands over his arm. Gently the Phoenix Saint began to feel his whole body again. The pain wasn't totally there but he knew his wrist was dislocated and he had wounds in every inch in his skin. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes widely, he was scared now so didn't think twice when he throw a punch to the air to whatever o whoever were touching his arms.

"Ah!" Ikki sat down quickly and yell because his wrist. "Asshole!"

"Are you fine, sister?"

The Bronze Saint sighed and could now recognize everything around. He was in his room in the Virgo's Temple and over his neck was the Holy Rosary. And in front of him, Agora was holding Shiva on the floor, for sure was the Peacock Saint because had her nails painted in red and a cute skirt... and was bleeding from the nose.

"Shiva? Agora?" he asked seeing them and then held the Holy Rosary as he moved backward. "Are you... are you real?"

"Yes, Ikki." the Lotus Saint smiled.

"Of course, stupid piece of shit!" Shiva yelled showing her middle finger. "I will make you bleed, you big idiot!"

"Shiva, calm down now."

Ikki felt a cold shiver over his back when turned to hear the third voice. From the door, entering with a tray, Shaka walked slowly to leave it in the floor and sat between the Phoenix and the Peacock Saint.

"Sorry, master." she said showing her nose and calming a bit. "Ikki hit me."

"Let me see." the Virgo Saint held her face to see the ostriches and cleaned the nose with a towel. "You will be alright, darling. But you already say all that to Ikki." he smiled and kissed her forehead. "You need to control yourself." Shiva nodded. "And you, Ikki..." he turned to pour some hot tea in a cup. "I understand you might feel a bit out of place, but try to don't hurt my students."

The low rank saint just saw the hot cup of tea in front of him and Shaka with a smile. Seeing around and seeing the two students and the master of the temple, Ikki could feel again the peace it was always around. He sighed and came close to hold the tea but his hands were shaking.

"It might be the medicine." Agora said as he rose up and turned off a candle that had some liquid over it in a little tray. "We needed to keep you asleep these days."

"Days?" Ikki asked a bit surprised.

"You was in a terrible pain and bleeding so much when we found you." Shiva said cleaning her nose and verifying she wasn't bleeding anymore. "The only way to help you was making you fall in a deep sleep. Two days, or two and a half to be specific." she smiled and winked. "I took care of you personally."

"Shiva." Shaka said just to receive a little giggle from his student. "Sorry, Ikki. You might understand she woke up a bit... funny today." but then he smiled and moved his hand as he rose up. "Kids, let's go. Let Ikki rest all he needs." he then returned his attention to the Bronze Saint. "Rest all you need and... do not remove the Holy Rosary from your body."

"Sorry." Ikki said with a calm voice. "I... I broke up the other protection."

"No, I'm the one who should ask for forgiveness." Shaka answered. "I should had tell you about the candle and why needed to stay like that but... it was somehow a secret I needed to keep."

Agora nodded and Shiva saw them to then gasp and fake a sad face.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "What do you mean by protection? And why is a secret? Hey! I didn't know it! Why do you hide me things?"

The older brother just pushed her softly with a hug to go out of there as she was asking over and over about it. Shaka sighed and saw to Ikki. He was so serious and shaking from the pain and medicine. Shaka came close and kneel down in front of him to see closer his eyes and face. Indeed, this Phoenix Saint wasn't totally awake and wasn't totally himself now.

"Rest, Ikki. I will explain you everything later." he placed both of his hand on Ikki's head. "Let me see what you saw and lived and I will explain you better."

It wasn't even a second when Shaka closed his eyes and saw almost everything. He was astonished but anyway smiled.

"Shaka? Everything I saw... was it real?" the Golden Saint nodded. "I almost die."

"But you are a strong Saint, Ikki. You are alive."


	7. The Realms

**The Realms**

 

"As you remember, the time we fought and were enemies, I sent us to another dimension because was the only way to escape from death. In this world exist more than one dimension or, as we call it, realms. My training has make me travel around them and even control some of the creatures or spirits that live there. I can see them, listen them, feeling them and even talk to them. They are everywhere around us but sometimes they fall from certain people or spaces. Do you know some ghost and disgusting creatures adores Cancer Temple? And even my beloved student Agora has some of them around him."

"What?! My brother?!"

Shiva interrupted as he saw Agora. She was a bit amazed.

The Virgo Saint, his students and the Phoenix Saint were all sat down in the entrance of the Virgo temple drinking some tea. He decided to explain everything to Ikki and to Shiva, who was now curious and heard about the secret.

"Well, yes." Agora nodded. "I can't control them, but I can see them sometimes and normally heard them." he patted Shiva's back in a soft way. "Don't worry, aren't the same than the ones that live in the Cancer Temple."

"These creatures can be good or bad, but honestly they doesn't have moral to follow so is just a way to say it." Shaka kept talking. "Agora has being a good human being, so he has three of those called spirits that protects him."

The Peacock and the Phoenix Saint saw each other. This was indeed interesting.

"How many do I have? Are good or bad?" Shiva asked still holding the cup of tea in her hands.

"Darling, you have only one and... let's say it already knows you well to act as it should when it needs to."

"That doesn't answer anything."

"Anyway, as I was saying. These spirits decides to stay with certain people or places. I'm always being followed by them because, as you remember, one of my attacks means to ask them to fight for me." Ikki nodded. He was serious because was still tired and intrigued by all this. "But they always are free to walk around my temple and the Sanctuary. And every time I go outside these walls, some of them stay here. Normally, the demons."

"Demons?" Ikki asked. "I was being attacked by demons? And why they knew everything about me? How... why they hasn't attack Agora or Shiva or anyone else?"

Shaka pointed the Rosary that was still in Ikki's neck.

"Had you notice that every single of my servants wears a rosary like this in its hands and some women wears some henna tattoos?" the owner of the temple smiled. "Agora and I are strong enough in mind to don't let them enter, and they are under my control so they behave with you, Shiva and other Saints around." he sighed and held Shiva's hand. "This time I wasn't around, you broke up the protection and they decided to do anything they wanted."

"I'm not strong as you..." Shiva said almost like a whisper.

"You are strong, Shiva." Ikki smiled. "Maybe just... maybe you need more training with your mind."

"And you are always wearing a protection. That's why I always bought them for you, my girl." Shaka smiled and pat her hands to leave them. The bracelets made a lot of sound and Shiva smiled moving her feet to make them sound too. "Now, they know some details about everyone, Ikki. Don't feel it is personal or anything at all."

He felt a bit of fear and sighed. Ikki wasn't an open person but looked like the spirits and demons didn't mind that. He drank a bit more of the tea and held the Rosary to remove it from his neck and better have it in his arm.

"That's why they showed me all that." Ikki was talking to them but seeing the beads of the object. "My old master, the kids... but I don't understand why they said there was my mother."

Shaka nodded and poured some milk on his tea.

"It wasn't your mother but the feelings you have about her. Seeing that monster, you feel a bit guilty about what happened to her." Ikki didn't answer but was enough for the Virgo Saint. "That monster was a dead body and was in the half. You still bearing her."

"And why you? I saw you too."

"Well..." Shaka saw his students who were very interested in the topic. "It was something you told to those horrible kids without face."

"Oh..."

The silence was there for some seconds as they both drank some of the tea. Agora and Shiva couldn't understand so, before the Peacock could ask something as always, Ikki decided to take the word again.

"And Esmeralda?" even if Ikki said it, Shiva felt a shiver. She really didn't like the story when Ikki told her about the girl. "I thought I left that pain in the past."

"How did you see her or the monster?" Shaka asked.

"She was just bloody, she was still looking like herself."

"Really?" Shaka asked. "You meant, maybe she had something in the face or in the body to know it was a monster."

"No, she was totally fine." he sighed and closed his eyes. "Lamentably those other monsters killed her twice in front of me. And she kissed me and held my hand. What does it meant?"

"They were just playing with your mind."

Agora interrupted as he stand up and fixed his civilian clothes. He smiled and saw to the principal stairs as another Bronze Saint was climbing them.

"Brother!" Ikki stand up in the moment Hyoga run to hug him. The Russian young man was indeed happy. "How do you feel?! Oh my God, you are alive! You are awake now!"

"Yes, yes, I'm." Ikki smiled. "I'm fine, I just need to go out of here."

"It is a good idea." Shaka smiled as he and Shiva did the same than the other Saints. "Go and relax a bit. You can come back later. Just, to take some preventions, don't remove the Rosary."

The Cygnus Saint was happy and knew that his best friend would explain him all. But before he could say something or say goodbye, Ikki asked them to let him and Shaka talk alone some minutes. Hyoga didn't mind so he came close to Agora and Shiva, and after all was ready to ask for a date to the Peacock Saint... even if it meant asked it in front of his old brother.

Now both ex-enemies were alone in the front of the stairs while the other three were almost inside. The Phoenix Saint looked indeed tired but anyway smiled to the Virgo Saint and owner of that temple.

"Why you and your students did came back?" he asked in the end.

"I didn't feel your cosmos in this realm so I was worried when I felt it in the hell." Shaka answered.

"Do you always take care of my cosmos?"

"Didn't you wanted to do the same before I go?"

"Hey, I hate when the people answer me with a question."

Shaka sighed and turned to see his students.

"I do... sometimes. When it is necessary." he smiled. "After all I do feel the same." Ikki's eyes opened widely and smiled as Shaka did. "Human after all."

"Yes of course, god Shaka." Ikki laughed. "Fine, then I better go and relax and explain all to Hyoga."

"Yes, he was very concerned about you."

Both, again, where in silence. But Ikki needed to cut it.

"I would need your help, right?" he asked to Shaka. "I don't feel totally as myself."

"Ikki, you will need my help only if you ask it. And I will be happy to help you heal that. I'm not a psychologist but I can hear all your problems and use some of my techniques. I will help you to let go your mother, your guilty and even your hate from your master."

"And with Esmeralda." Ikki sighed. "I swear, I thought I had it in control. But the pain came back? It is the only explanation I have."

"I do believe you, and yes I will help you." Shaka said. "I will help you with everything you need so you can still being the strong Saint I know."

The Phoenix Saint nodded and saw how Agora was a bit angry with Hyoga meanwhile Shiva was blushing a bit with an innocent smile. Maybe it was time to go now and save his best friend from an angry Lotus Saint.

"Even with... well, maybe if you feel the same and..." Ikki cleared his throat and the Virgo Saint smiled. "I don't want to interfere with your illumination."

"Ah, it isn't an interference. In fact it is something I should experiment in this realm and this life. So yes, even in that." he smiled and saw Hyoga and the other arriving. "We will see while you come for the help."

"Come for what? Are you planning a date?" Hyoga came close.

"Shut up, duck." Ikki said with a serious face. "Don't you understand what friendship means? And it looks like you are the one who has the date."

"Ok, let's shut up and go." Hyoga was smiling but a bit nervous and Shaka could see it. "Bye, bye, Shaka. Good bye, Agora." he smiled to Shiva. "Darling."

"See you tomorrow." She said waving her hand.

The Virgo Saint and Ikki saw each other with a smile. They were saying goodbye but too other two things and one of them was the fact that Ikki trusted in Shaka to even ask for his help.

The three Virgos saw the other Bronze Saints going. Indeed Ikki looked a bit turned off and out of himself, but maybe passing time with his best friend might help. Those three could see how the sun was almost hiding totally and spend some seconds there till the only girl decided to talk.

"Fine, so... master Shaka is the best liar and all but you Agora, you sucks so terrible."

"Shiva? Your manners." The master said without removing his sight from the two figures that were entering to the Leo Saint.

"I'm sorry, but it is true. I wouldn't know something was odd if Agora wouldn't talk." Shiva saw his old brother. "Why did you lied about Esmeralda?"

The Lotus Saint was serious as his master. Shiva even smiled seeing how the men that were always at her side had some details in common.

"Master Shaka, are you going to tell to Ikki?"

"Maybe later. But you can tell to Shiva." he turned and began to walk. "I need to make another candle to control those bastards."

"Master!" Shiva said. "Your manners!"

The Virgo Saint indeed was relaxed now and liked to joke around with his students and friends. Maybe after all the stress of the Holy War and being always a strict Saint with himself, he wanted to explore other things in his life.

Anyway, both students sat down again and poured some more tea on their cups.

"Sister, we had never told you about the creatures and spirits that are around the temple and around us. Normally we would need a special training to control them, but for the moment I just had the luck to can see them. Anyway, we hide all this to protect you." the Peacock Saint smiled. "And now you know about them. If you ever feel they are playing with you, only remember two things; you are more powerful than them because this is your realm and the training the master Shaka has given to us is totally enough to defeat them."

"Indeed. What's the other thing?"

"They will be always animals or monsters." Agora saw her very serious. "Only that and no more."

The Peacock Saint spent some seconds thinking and then couldn't move. Her eyes opened widely and saw the stairs as if she could keep seeing Ikki.

"Those... spirits." she felt sad for a moment. "They can't take a human form?"

"They can take a human form but not totally, and it is always the face and the hands the only thing they can't copy."

"Does it means that Esmeralda was..." Shiva couldn't hide her tears. "Agora, she travelled to one realm to other to take care of Ikki?"

"He said she looked like herself, she kissed him and held his hand without fear." he stop seeing Shiva, she was sad and crying. "Don't tell him about this." Shiva nodded and cleaned her tears. "Our friend will never forgive himself if he knows Esmeralda gave her soul for him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this ffic. It was my first about horror/gore. I have more ideas to come about this (maybe a second part?) and even other horror story with other character in the Virgo Temple.
> 
> Comments are welcome! Thank you for read


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